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1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the provision of telecommunication services to the deaf and hearing impaired. More particularly, the invention is related to a call center for handling TTY calls for the deaf and hearing impaired. Still more particularly, this invention is related to reducing the number of TTY that are not completed and a system for accurately tracking the total number of calls to a TTY call center.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure that telecommunication services are provided to the hearing and speech impaired. Telecommunication Relay Services (TRS) are used provide the functional equivalent of telecommunication services to the hearing and speech impaired. TRS have been available on a nationwide basis since 1983.
TRS operates in the following manner. A calling party for this system may be a hearing or speech impaired person or a person wishing to talk to the hearing or speech impaired. The calling party has a TDD/TTY which is a device for transmitting and receiving typed messages. The calling party places a call by dialing a local toll free number. The call is extended to a communication assistant terminal in the call center. The call is a modem connection between the calling party and the communication assistant terminal. The calling party then types a telephone number that the calling party wishes to call. A call is then placed by the communication assistant to the telephone number. When a call is established with a party at the desired telephone number, the calling assistant relays the messages between the calling party and the called party. The calling party types in messages that are read by the calling assistant to the called party. The called party speaks to the calling assistant, who types in the called party""s message. This operation is performed in an opposite manner when a person is calling a hearing or speech impaired person.
The local toll free number called by a party extends the call to a call center that provides TRS. A conventional call center is illustrated in FIG. 1. In call center 100, a switching system 101 is connected to a modem 111 in each of terminals 110 and to a call controller 120. One type of switching system typically used in a call center 100 is a Rockwell Galaxy ACD switch. Call controller 120 is a system having a processing unit and associated memory.
Call controller 120 determines which terminal is available to handle a call. When switching system 101 receives a request for a call set-up, switching system 101 transmits a request to call controller 120 for an available terminal. Call controller 120 responds to switching system 101 by transmitting an identity of an available terminal. Switching system 101 then extends the call to the identified terminal.
Each terminal 110 is a computer system 112 that can convert signals received via modem 111 into a text message that is displayed upon screen 113. Each terminal 110 also has a telephone station 115 connected to switching system 101 to receive and to place voice telephonic calls. The communication assistant can enter text into computer system 112 via keyboard 114. Computer system 112 converts the entered text into text messages transmitted to a calling party over the connection established with modem 111. Computer 112 is also connected to a network 150. When a call is completed to a terminal 110, a Call Detail Record (CDR) is generated by computer system 112. The call detail record includes information pertaining to the length of the call. The CDR is then stored in computer system 112.
A billing system 151 is then connected to each terminal 110 via network 150. Periodically, each computer system 112 transmits stored CDRs to billing system 151 for processing. The billing system 151 then uses the call detail records to generate billing.
It is a problem that conventional call center 100 cannot record calls that are not completed to a terminal 110. In conventional system 100, a call is extended directly to a terminal 110. If the call is not answered at the terminal, there is no record of the call. It is common for a call not be completed, as the calling party may hang up before a calling assistant is available to handle the call at the terminal 110. Most TRS providers charge agencies for the amount of calls handled by the switching system 101. Currently, an algorithm is used to determined the amount of call that are received by switching system 101 but are not completed to a terminal. However, both service providers and agencies paying for the TRS service desire an improved call center which allows calls to be answered more efficiently as well as having a method for determining the amount of calls handled but not completed.
The above and other problems are solved and an advance in the art is made by a call center of this invention. A first advantage of this invention is that a record can be generated of all calls handled by the call center. A second advantage of this invention is that after a call is completed a terminal available to handle the call may be determined which allows for better assurance that the call will be handled. A third advantage is that a terminal handling the call does not have to be physically connected to the switching system.
This invention is a call center that handles TTY calls for the hearing and speech impaired. The call center includes a modem bank housing multiple modems. Each modem in the modem bank is connected to a switching system and a network. Terminals for handling the calls are also connected to the network. A call controller is connected to the network and to the switching system.
When a call is received by the switching system, call information is transmitted to the call controller by the switching system. The call is then extended by the switch to a modem in a modem pool. The modem bank controller then requests the identity of an available terminal to handle the call from the call controller.
The call controller determines which of terminals is available to handle the incoming call. The identity of the selected terminal is transmitted to the modem bank controller. The modem bank controller commands the modem receiving the call to then transmit data received to the selected terminal.
In a preferred embodiment, each of the terminals includes a computer system and a telephone station. Alternatively, the terminal may contain just a computer system that has software and a microphone to allow voice over IP applications. The computer system is connected to the network. The telephone station is connected to the switching system. The computer system handles calls in the following manner. When an incoming call is received, the computer system receives data of the incoming call from the selected modem in the modem bank. The data is converted by the computer system into a display of words. The display is then shown on a connected display to the communication assistant.
The communication assistant inputs data into the computer system via a keyboard or other device. The computer system receives the input data from the communication assistant. The input data is then converted into transmission data, and transmitted to the calling party via the selected modem in the modem bank handling the incoming call.
The call center may also include a Call Detail Record (CDR) server. The CDR server is connected to the network. The CDR server generates a connection record of each incoming call connected to one the modems in the modem bank. The connection record is then stored in a memory in the CDR server.
The CDR server may also generate a session record of each incoming call handled by a terminal. The session record may be a separate record or may be a subset of data in a call detail record. The session record is also stored in the memory in the CDR server. The session record is generated in the following manner. A terminal transmits a session established signal to the CDR server responsive to the terminal beginning to receive data for an incoming call from one of the modems. The terminal may then transmit a session complete signal to the CDR server responsive to the incoming call being disconnected. The CDR server receives said session established signal, receives the session complete signal, and generates the session record which includes a length of time of a session, and time of day of said session.
The modem bank includes a processing unit that executes instructions for operating the modem bank in the following manner. When one of the modems is connected to an incoming call, the modem bank generates a connection established signal and transmits the connection established signal to the CDR server. When one of the modems disconnects call, the modem bank generates a connection ended signal. The connection ended signal is transmitted by the modem bank to the CDR server. The CDR server receives the connection established signal, and the connection ended signal. From the connection established and connection ended signals, the CDR server generates the connection record from information in the established signal and the connection ended signal.
In order to determine which terminals are available to handle calls, the call controller may maintain agent database that indicates terminals are available to handle incoming calls. In order to maintain the agent database, the call controller may receive signals from terminals indicating the status of the terminal. When a communication assistant is at a terminal and the terminal is available to handle calls, the terminal generates an available signal and transmits the available signal to the call controller. When a terminal cannot handle a call, the terminal generates an unavailable signal responsive to said user not being available to handle incoming calls and transmits the unavailable signal to the call controller.
When the switching system receives a call to the call center telephone number, the switching system transmits a request to the call controller for an available modem in the modem bank. The call center then transmits the identity of a selected modem. The switching system receives the identity of the modem from said call controller and extends the incoming call to the modem. When a voice call is received by the switching system, the switching system transmits a request for an identity of a telephone station at one of the terminals available to receive an incoming call. The switching system receives the identity of a telephone station at one of the terminals and extends the incoming call to the telephone station.